In the center of Piazza del Duomo, among so many thousands of tourists and the echoes of a Pavarotti performance, a woman stands tall with her hand raised. Someone has given her feed and, while she points her cell phone, a dove emerges from the crowd to land on her hand. She already has the perfect Instagram photo.
In the background the selfies, the traffic, the openwork spiers of the cathedral, the irresistible topics but, especially, the sophisticated journey that one of the great attractions of the Italian city invites. Almost 47 meters high and a structure formed by two arches with a cross-shaped glass vault, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II connects the Piazza del Duomo with the Piazza della Scala under the chic charm that we came for.
We immerse ourselves in this time tunnel where Prada bags integrate perfectly with the whispers of history.
I always heard that Milan was an industrial city, gray and decaffeinated compared to the great tourist totems of Italy. However, that was not the first impression upon arriving at Piazza del Duomo, admiring the cathedral and extending the experience under the great glass vaults of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The grandeur of this space not only takes you back to a time full of splendor but also inspires the greatest whim of an important king. In this case, the first official monarch of unified Italy.
It was 1860 when, in an attempt to modernize the city, King Victor Emmanuel II commissioned the Bolognese architect Giuseppe Mengoni to build a gallery based on the new Italian splendor capable of housing different shops and restaurants. The construction took place between 1865 and 1877 and involved the presence of more than 1,000 workers, 365 tons of iron and an exorbitant investment.
However, a kind of curse seemed to hang over the gallery, since one day before the inauguration, Mengoni's body appeared lifeless under the scaffolding under strange circumstances and even more gruesome rumors; one of them, who had committed suicide due to constant criticism of the final result of his work by the king. A questionable rumor when on January 9, 1878, a few days after the inauguration, the king also died after a long illness.
As time went by, the gallery became a meeting point for the high Italian aristocracy, which is why it was soon renamed "il salotto di Milano" (the salon of Milan). A historical foundation that has lasted in time thanks to the presence of the most exclusive haute couture stores in the world, shop windows worthy of a pop universe but, above all, fascinating architecture.
The gallery is a busy place all year round, especially on weekends and Fashion Week dates. Access is free 24 hours a day and invites you to get lost in all its charms: Barbie pink floods a Louis Vuitton window that could be nominated for an Oscar, visiting Prada is the closest thing to doing it in an alternative museum, Armani well trendy and, in Gucci, one fears slipping like Carrie Bradshaw in that episode of Sex and the City. Likewise, it is well worth walking through one of the corners of the Fashion Triangle through a single monument.
At Café Biffi, founded in 1867 by Paolo Biffi, pastry chef to the king, you can still try a panettone worthy of a royal stay. Oysters at the Savini restaurant for exorbitant prices, the modernism of the Zucca bar, located at the entrance or, especially, the Camparino Bar. This emblematic place in the city was bombed during the Second World War and rebuilt shortly after to prolong the cult of a vermouth that everyone talks about in the city.
In any case, the aperitif here is compatible with other more affordable experiences: visiting the famous Ricordi music store, with its three floors full of chamber music and works of art; or look for the popular mosaic of the Milan bull in Piazza del Ottagono, the heart of the gallery. This bull is famous for its presence on the Savoia family coat of arms, the emblem of the city of Turin, and, according to legend, if you place your foot on the drawing of the animal and turn around three times with your eyes closed, your goal will be fulfilled. desire.
If you get hungry, you can spend a month's rent on a meal in the gallery itself or go to the McDonald's in Piazza del Duomo. Again, gossip: the fast food establishment was displaced to this area in 2012 after bidding for a location in the gallery that was awarded to Prada. The dramas of capitalism.
Finally, you can also access the Highline Galleria, the gallery's viewpoint and rooftop, for a price of 12 euros for visitors over 25 years of age, and 9.60 for those under 25 and over 65 with views that may not be worth it. its price. An experience of limited views that does not meet expectations when we talk about the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. And here, as happens in the Duomo, in that square where a woman raises her hand to attract the pigeons, the world at all times invites us to look up and point to the sky.
